Long Beach MMJ Collectives Under Attack By DA Cooley

The attack continues against medical cannabis dispensaries in California, as L.A.DA Cooley refuses to drop charges against humanitarian and MMJ patient crusader Joe Grumbine.  Mr. Grumbine has rejected a felony deal that would force him to sign a paper agreeing that he is a criminal for operating a medical marijuana collective as allowed under sb420, California’s medical marijuana program act. Joe Byron offered to accept a plea if the government hacks would drop charges against Grumbine and allow them to operate legally as allowed under prop 215 and sb420


In a show of defiance against the will of California medical marijuana patients and the general voters, the Long Beach prosecutors refused to drop the bogus charges.    They have set arguments about what the jury will be allowed to hear for September 15 and placed the trial date for September 26.  

On September 15, it is expected that the prosecutor will try to prevent as much of the legitimate information regarding a medical defense as to proof that the defense has that this collective was operating under state law.  Many people don’t know that medical marijuana is an “affirmative defense” similar to a self defense charge, the defendant actually has to prove they are innocent.  This is different than almost all other types of criminal charges where the prosecutors always have to prove that the defendant is guilty.  The judges then have the power to influence the outcome of the trial if they refuse to allow the defendant to show that he was operating under state law.  Politics plays out in the courtooms as District Attorneys commonly can influence judges or work in collusion with them to undermine the will of the people as they voted to legalize medical marijuana 15 years ago.

(Source)